Sky q audio visual setting

[g-mitch]

 I have connected all devices including sky q to my tv. Then optical from tv to soundbar plus HDMI between tv and soundbar for remote control.

On sky q audio visual settings I have selected normal for HDMI as soundbar is connected to tv by optical. Under optical settings have selected Dolby Digital as soundbar is connected by optical to tv. Sound is very good and sky q settings makes references to HDMI or optical connection to sound system although I am connecting via tv as hub.

Have tried sky q HDMI connection to soundbar and HDMI arc to tv but when playing tv apps the connection drops and is unreliable.

Equipment Sony Bravia tv kd55xe9005 soundbar htx8500. No specific setting on tv for arc.

Just looking to ensure I have the sky q audio visual set up correct!!

thanks

[nigea99]

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@g-mitch wrote:

 I have connected all devices including sky q to my tv. Then optical from tv to soundbar plus HDMI between tv and soundbar for remote control.

On sky q audio visual settings I have selected normal for HDMI as soundbar is connected to tv by optical. Under optical settings have selected Dolby Digital as soundbar is connected by optical to tv. Sound is very good and sky q settings makes references to HDMI or optical connection to sound system although I am connecting via tv as hub.

Have tried sky q HDMI connection to soundbar and HDMI arc to tv but when playing tv apps the connection drops and is unreliable.

Equipment Sony Bravia tv kd55xe9005 soundbar htx8500. No specific setting on tv for arc.

Just looking to ensure I have the sky q audio visual set up correct!!

thanks

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So am I correct that you have the Sound bar connected to the TV by both HDMI & optical ?

If you have HDMI connected via an ARC connection from your TV then you will get better sound using the ARC channel from your TV and dispense with the optical from your TV 

I haven't checked the capabilities of your TV  but assuming it can pass through  Dolby Digital then you should set SKY Q   HDMI audio to Dolby Digital 

I admit I don't know why you would get glitches in the sound when connecting SKY Q direct to the Soundbar - when you tried it was the HDMI audio Normal or DD ?

[nigea99]

hi again @g-mitch 

Can I just ask  is theSoundbar connected to HDMI 3 (ARC) on your TV  & SKY Q to HDMI 2?

(edited as my original post I had them the wrong way round)

Although it may not matter sound wise if SKY Q is in a different HDMI 

Unfortunately the online Manual I found for your TV was not that helpful when it came to the Audio  output settings so it might be worth checking what options you have and what they are set to

[g-mitch]

That was my preferred set up but HDMI arc from tv to soundbar extremely unreliable. Using tv as hub utilising optical to soundbar much more stable and no loss of sound quality.

thanks

[nigea99]

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@g-mitch wrote:

That was my preferred set up but HDMI arc from tv to soundbar extremely unreliable. Using tv as hub utilising optical to soundbar much more stable and no loss of sound quality.

thanks

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Was that just for  SKY Q or for the inbuilt apps as well ?

[nigea99]

BTW Have you noted my earlier comment about setting the SKY Q HDMI Audio out to Dolby Digital ?

It doesn't matter how the TV is connected to the sound bar - it will use the audio it receives from SKy Q via HDMI ( the SKY Q optical setting has no bearing)  Normal is PCM Stereo

[g-mitch]

Tv audio information not great but followed all of Sony recommendations for arc, variable, pcm,

works until tv switched off! Then no sound.

havr sky q to HDMI 1 blu/ray to HDMI 2 and soundbar to HDMI 3 arc.. Optical from tv to soundbar.

thanks 

[nigea99]

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@g-mitch wrote:

Tv audio information not great but followed all of Sony recommendations for arc, variable, pcm,

works until tv switched off! Then no sound.

havr sky q to HDMI 1 blu/ray to HDMI 2 and soundbar to HDMI 3 arc.. Optical from tv to soundbar.

thanks 

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I am assuming ordinary Blu-Ray 

If it is (& not a UHD player) I think it would be better to swap the blu-ray over with SKY Q as if I read   the TV spec in the manual correctly, only HDMI 2 (& the ARC port HDMI 3) support  4096*2160p 50Hz

Re the sound what are the options for the ARC  output  & if separate for the Optical output? 

[g-mitch]

TV audio settings I think are limited to auto/auto 1/auto 2 and pcm. Nothing specific for HDMI arc or optical.

after removing all tv devices including optical and just connected arc to sound bar rebooting tv which is only connected to you view I can get audio from digital tv when audio set to pcm.

can also get sound from tv apps prime etc. however if I connect sky q to HDMI 1 no sound.

if I connect sky to sound bar works fine through arc.

however when tv turned off and restarted sky is fine from soundbar via arc but apps from tv via arc are lost, no sound!!!!!

[nigea99]

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@g-mitch wrote:

TV audio settings I think are limited to auto/auto 1/auto 2 and pcm. Nothing specific for HDMI arc or optical.

Often the audio out settings are set for both the HDMI ARC connection and Optical so often there is only one setting

I hope you have some manual that gives you a clue as to what auto/auto 1/auto 2 mean because I am at a total loss  - often there is auto and PCM  or auto / Dolby Digital / PCM & some other variants but multiple auto settings I really can't hazard a guess

I would expect auto to pass through the Dolby Digital signal  

after removing all tv devices including optical and just connected arc to sound bar rebooting tv which is only connected to you view I can get audio from digital tv when audio set to pcm.

can also get sound from tv apps prime etc. however if I connect sky q to HDMI 1 no sound.

When you tried this was the SKY Q HDMI Out setting normal or Dolby Digital - if your TV audio setting is set to PCM then the SKY Q setting needs to be Normal (which is PCM stereo)

if I connect sky to sound bar works fine through arc.

I presume you mean SKY Q direct to Sound bar & watching the TV which is connected via the HDMI out on the sound bar to the ARc connection on the TV (in this case technically it is not using the ARC feature as that is for sound from the TV)

however when tv turned off and restarted sky is fine from soundbar via arc but apps from tv via arc are lost, no sound!!!!!

Is that when SKY Q is connected to the sound bar ?

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[g-mitch]

audio auto 1 and 2 relates to passing audio compressed or not.........

think my tv which is a 2017 manufactured may not be arc friendly even though it has arc HDMI!!! 
Thanks for the responses gives me some various alternatives. Kind regards 

[nigea99]

Hi @g-mitch 

After reading part of your Soundbar manual it has got me thinking - what problems did you get when you connected the SKY Q directly  to the Sound bar  (and have the HDMI out connected to the TVs HDMI ARC port 3) ?

If you haven't done so it might be worth setting the HDMI signal to Enhanced instead of the default Standard format - Page 17 in the Sound Bar manual I found online  

When connecting this way then try Setting the HDMI Sound output on Q to Dolby Digital & see if you do get better sound.

That said the sound bar is limited in it's actual number of speakers so uses spatial settings to try  mimic the surround sound

[g-mitch]

Thank you. No problem with q when connected to soundbar using HDMI to tv arc input. The only small issue when tv turned on it would show picture but sometimes default to sound from optical connection from tv.

Wanted either full 2 way connection via tv HDMI arc, which I cannot achieve, so decided to use tv as hub and connect q to tv linked by optical.

when I introduced q to tv the HDMI arc failed so no option but to use optical. I am quite happy but appreciate your comments 

[nigea99 · Accepted solution]

Hi Again @g-mitch 

Just to confuse you - I remember you said you have a blu-ray player plugged into yout TV.

If you do  watch blu-rays (or for that matter DVDs) you may find it better to not plug SKY into the HDMI input on the sound bar but plug the blu-ray in instead

Blu-rays usually have DTS Master uncompressed 5.1 sound (something the TV cannot pass through being only ARC and not eARC) so you may benefit more from connecting that directly than you would SKy 

I guess it all depends on how often you watch discs

[g-mitch]

Success achieved! Thanks for the suggestions on this common topic.

Action - sky audio visual setting changed to HDMI Dolby Digital and optical set to normal.

Sky q HDMI lead removed from HDMI 1 from tv and also optical connection removed.

Tv audio changed from pcm to audio 1 as audio device needs to decode sound.

Left soundbar switched on and read on another site to disconnect HDMI arc lead on tv and reconnect. This worked for tv apps and digital tv sound generated via HDMI arc to soundbar.

Connected sky q to soundbar which worked fine via the HDMI out on soundbar.

So I have 2 way transmission via HDMI out/arc connection. Have my basic blu-ray to tv HDMI 2 and another device on tv HDMI 4. Nothing connected to HDMI 1 and no optical!!

 Everything working fine and I did originally think sky q was causing arc failure. I believe that if a power cut occurs I will need to refresh/reboot the tv HDMI arc tv connection as described above.

Happy to reach a positive conclusion but these issues can be sensitive if power outages or the introduction of new devices occur!!!

kind regards